Monday, September 01, 2008

In customary gloating fashion, I thought I would just brag about the fact I just secured myself a ticket to the Metallica album launch party at the 02 in a couple of weeks. They rather generously offered the tickets at a fiver each. However, in order to get into the first round of ticket sales (and thus stand any chance at all of getting one) you have to be a member of their fan club. I don't think I've been a member of a fanclub before, but then I've never had cause to watch a phoenix reborn before.

OK, a slight exaggeration, but since Bob Rock has been producing Metallica things for the more traditional fans have not gone well. I know people who refuse to listen to anything after the ....And Justice for All album. I'm a little more broad minded, but only a little. The Black album (that's the one with Enter Sandman on it), whilst really cool and an album I really like, was a break away from their roots. Load, again, was eventually proved to be a good album and actually worked the more Bluesy angle really well - just not exactly what you would call knock you off your feet amazing. ReLoad was just the filler left over from Load and the less said about that album the better. There were a few quality albums in between the next studio one, which were basically rehashing existing material but still good stuff. Then there was St.Anger. or Stanger. Or Stank-er.

The problem with a band like Metallica is that they've sold somewhere int he region of 110 million albums, they have a legion of fans like me who buy their stuff just because it says Metallica on it. They can produce any old garbage (see ReLoad & Stanger), slap a price tag on it and it will sell.

Anyway, they finally got a chap called Rick Rubin on board, who's been responsible for so many quality albums it's untrue. Like a bit of metal? He produced the Kerrang! 'Heaviest album of all time' with Reign in Blood by Slayer. Beastie Boys fan? How about the classic License to Ill? All the good Danzig albums are his. Like a bit of the Chili Peppers? Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magick is chief amongst his involvement with those boys. System of A Down, Rage Against the Machine - the list goes on. The guy knows his stuff when it comes to mainstream stuff and with the stuff at the roots of Metallica, so I have unreasonably high hopes for this latest release.

Yes I know that this post is only of interest to me. Yes I know I am acting like a frothing fanboy. If you don't like it, what the hell are you doing reading it all dumb ass?!